Jacks ghost
by BloodredCrimsonhands
Summary: Jacks gone and when a teenage girl turns up out of no where in Jacks office. Gwen and Tosh want to help her. Theres just one problem She was born millenia in the future and has been dead since 1868.
1. Girl in the grey dress

**The Girl in the grey dress**

**This is set in between the two series Jack's not in the first few chapters.Please review I woul like to thank Abcarter, Flowerfairy30 and lil sakura haruno for their reviews. I am re writing this story because several people have told me they like it but it needs a clean up.**

**5267 Time Agency HQ Arizona desert.**

"You need to find your brother" Matthew Keloy high general told the cadet. The girl brushed her long brown hair out of her blue eyes and looked at him."My brother is dead".She wore a silvery grey Victorian tavern girls dress and a blue saphire and gold locket.

"Not so,we located him in nineteenth century Cardiff. You know about the time and space rift. It's tearing a hole in the universe. More than that it's tearing holes in the other world the space between the dead and living. Corpses are beginning to get up and walk. They'll be able to kill the living they have no mind only bloodlust. Not here ,not yet it's starting in 21st century Cardiff. You need to find your brother we believe he's the only one who can stop it. He's the best we've ever had but he's deserted we need you to persuade him to come back we need him. More than anything."  
The girl nodded and took the key it was a simple looking pure silver key on a gold chain. She put it round her neck. The high general looked sad. Maria if you cannot persuade your brother to help you must do this. This key requires the energy of human sacrifice. Whoever uses it will die. Can you do that can you persuade your brother to kill himself and if not can you plunge a knife into your own heart?"  
"Yes"  
The girl pressed a button on the teleporter on her wrist and dissapeared. Matthew Keloy stared sadly at the place were the girl had been standing moments before. He could tell from the look the girl had given him that even if her brother closed the rift she would not come back he'd just sent a fifteen year old girl to her death.  
Sadly the high general wrote on a piece of paper '_deceased Maria Donatella Harkness.'_

**2008 Cardiff  
**Toshiko was cleaning out Jacks desk she felt like she was doing something illegal. She was searching for clues to were he might be.She'd wanted to look through it for ages but hadn't been able to open it. Then they had fought a race of technologically advanced raieds a type of alien who mixed biology with technology to create soldiers out of the races on planets they conquered. Torchwood had stored a lazer like gun theat opened any lock in it's vaults when everyone had gone home Tosh had taken it and used it on Jacks desk and to her delight it opened. She was getting frustrated all the first draw contained was a couple of guns with bullets. The second and third draws were all run of the mill paperwork. With low hopes Toshiko opened the last draw. There were two things in it both of which suprised Tosh. A saphire and gold locket and a photograph. The photograph was of Jack a twenty maybe twenty five year old Jack in a soldiers uniform with his arm round the neck of a twelwe yer old girl. The girl had brown hair and blue eyes just like Jacks. Tosh felt a eyes on her back and even though she knew the room was empty she turned around. There was a girl there she was maybe fifteen and wore a victorian style grey dress and wore the same style locket that was in Jacks draw but the think that scared Toshiko most was the fact that she was the girl from the photograph.  
"Help me" the girl begged


	2. Maria

Maria

Tosh just stared at the girl in her panic she had failed to realise that the girl was crying.  
"Torchwood is this Torchwood? please tell me I'm right."  
Tosh found it hard to find her voice in horror finally she opened her mouth to speak  
"Yes this is Torchwood,who are you?"  
"Jack fetch Jack I need him the rift is tearing the human race is falling.Not yet but so soon we only have 12 hours."  
"Jacks been gone for eight months I don't know where and I don't think he's coming back"  
Tosh was getting scared this girl was so young but she spoke like a seasoned member of Torchwood and if what she said was true... Tosh didn't want to think about it.  
"Tosh are you still here?" came a voice from the centre of the hub it was Gwen. Toshiko was relieved she didn't like being alone with this strange girl.  
"Gwen I'm in Jacks office you should come up here. Somethings happened." Tosh called to her friend.  
Gwen opened the office door and when she saw the girl she reacted the sme way Tosh did.  
"Who are you?,how did you get in?, what are you doing here?" demanded Gwen. The girl cried even harder. Gwen reached out to comfort her.  
"No,don't touch me" screamed the girl then clming down she explined to the now seriously worried Gwen and Tosh "I'm dead If you touch me I'll fade away. I need to stay just long enough to seal the rift. My name is Maria I was born in the future died in your past 1868 to be precise."  
The girl, Maria looked straight at Toshiko all the pain and desperation in the teenagers eyes became apparent and Tosh felt tears of pity for the girl forming in her own eyes.  
"Stay here Maria" said Gwen "I'll get Ianto and Owen here within the hour"  
"We need Jack, for me my death has been but four hours for Jack it has been 190 years. He won't believe you If you tell him it's me, he won't dare to hope I have no wish to put him through the pain of my death again but there is no other way."

Dr Owen Harper was seriously pissed off. If there was a prize for being pissed off he would have won with distinction. The evening had started brilliantly. He'd been flirting with hot woman he had a serious chance of getting of with. He'd just been paid so he'd been having a binge and he hd the weekend off. Then the hot woman had got off with someone else, his wallet had been stolen, he had a serious hangover and now Gwen Cooper was calling him telling him she didn't care what had happened he needed to come to Torchwood now. Fuck fuck fuck he thought as he got stuck in a traffic jam.  
Eventually Owen got to Torchwood two hours after being rung by Gwen.  
"Your late Owen Harper" snaps Gwen  
Owen was just about to come up with a sarcstic and witty response when he noticed Ianto,Tosh and Gwen were all standing around a very attractive teenage Victorian girl.  
"What the fucks going on?" asked Owen.  
"I am Maria" the girl explained "I'm dead"  
"We need to find Jack" Gwen told Owen "otherwise the world will end we have ten hours we would have had eleven but _someone _mentioning no names was late."  
It was then Iantos mobile rang  
"Hello?"  
Everyone heard the callers voice over the mobile and sighed with relief.  
"Ianto It's Jack."


	3. Jack

Jack

Jacks Pov Cardiff main city.

I can't wait to see my team again. To think only yesterday they were all dead thanks to the master. To see Martha with her family. It made me think of her. Maria. We were reunited with each other for 1 day. Before..

I don't even want to think it she was only fifteen.

But they're all going to die aren't they my team. No matter how I protect them. I'm so sorry Maria. I so sorry. I failed you. Before I realise were I'm my feet are taking me I am at the cemetery. I haven't been here since. I didn't even go to her funeral. She deserved better. A grave marked Mary Carter is where her body lies. A grave useless to her, in a strange country and time period. My cheeks are wet and I notice I'm crying. A funeral is going on and people are staring at me like I'm mad. Of course the grave is marked "Died 1868". I realise I need to speak to someone I take my mobile and ring the one person I can confide in.  
"Hello?"  
"Ianto It's Jack."  
I hear a pause on the other end on the phone.  
"Jack you should get here now theres somethings happened. A girls turned up a teenage girl and shes dead. She says she needs your help."  
Is it? I can't dare to hope.  
"Whats her name?"  
"Jack whats going on?"  
"DAMN IT IANTO WHATS HER NAME?" I shout earning myself some strange looks from the few people out at this time of night.  
There an unsure puse on the other end then I hear one word,  
"Maria"  
"I'm coming."

**_1557 Time agency HQ_  
**_"Jack I missed you so much" the ten year old girl ran forwards and hugged her older brither her only family. Jack stared down t his sister fifteen years younger than him and and swore to himself 'I'll never let anything happen to you Maria I failed Gray I won't fail you too I promise."  
_

**2008 Torchwood  
**Maria stared at the faces of the people around her. They were all so kind. But so much more vunerable thn she had ever been. The one strength and failing of the third great and bountiful human empire was it's ability to train children from the cradle to become soldiers. Maria had let her heart get in the way. The alien who'd killed her. She'd begged him to do it. She would not hand her brother his death.  
_  
__**1868 Cardiff  
**"I'm dying anyway" she lied to the alien man.  
"Cancer in my breasts, I have three months to live at the most. I'm in pain anyway it would be a mercy. Better I die to seal the rift then someone who has their whole life ahead of them like my brother."  
"No I don't kill humans,I hate death."  
"But more death will come,don't you see The sacrifice of a dying girl to save millions you can't save me anyway so take the knife and drive it through my heart."  
The alien man relented at the words  
"shes right" from his human friend.  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry little girl" he whispered .  
Maria closed her eyes and felt a stabbing pain in her chest. The last thing she ever saw was the tear covered faces of her killer and his human companion. She died in her killers arms.He didn't deserve that title he'd been so kind such a hero to millions of worlds. Her death hd been pratically suicide._


	4. Memories part one

**1868 ( 1 day ago for Maria)  
**

Maria crashed into the back wall she hated uncrafted time travel it always made her feel sick. And the Victorian style corset dress didn't aid her getting up either. Her hair was pinned up and felt like it was falling down. She was a cadet in the time agency she shouldn't have been on a solo mission but her brother the infamous Captain Jack Harkness was more likely to listen to her than anyone else .

She could feel people staring at her they thought she was a whore.

"Thanks Samantha" she thought venomously about the historical costume designer. But she wasn't too worried Maria could look after herself.

Well then she thought I better explore. So Maria spent several hours searching the taverns and flirting. (She may have been 15 but she was a lot like her older brother.)

Suddenly her watch started beeping a teleport hopefully her brothers had been detected. In one of the worst areas of Cardiff"trust Jack" she thought smirking totally unconcerned. She then locked on to the other teleporter and pressed the button.

After she got over the dizziness Maria noticed her brother. Due to timeline crossing he was more than fifteen years older thn her but save a few lines around his eyes he looked pretty much the same. He was sitting in a tavern flirting with the bartender (which she could tell was annoying the barmaid who clearly wanted Jacks attention.)  
She snuck in no one gave her a second glance except one man who grabbed her wrist so hrd she could feel it bruising under her skin.  
"Why don't you come and sit with your new friend Gwain" asked tall dark haired young man in his twenties who obviously fancied himself as some sort of bad boy.  
"No thank you" Maria told him coldly freeing her bruised wrist.  
The Gwain grabbed a pistol and put it to her head.  
"No wench says no to me."  
"I believe I just did"  
Gwain put his finger on the trigger. Using her time academy skills she had disarmed him in five second. Now everyone in the tavern was staring. Maria and Jacks eyes met and Maria saw the recognition in Jacks eyes.  
"Perhaps this'll teach you not to pick on innocent girls you never know whether they're going to be like me or not."  
Maria threw down Gwains pistol and walked out. She could hear Jack following her she didn't turn around though she lead him into an alley way. Then she turned round.  
"Jack" she cried embracing her older brother for the first time in five years.  
"Maria I've missed you so much."  
"Why did you leave me?"  
"I had to leave the agency I realised what they were doing was turning people into cold blooded killers I realised what it had turned me into, I had to get out, I wanted to come back for you I did but I got trapped in the 19th century.But I'm happy I got my life back." (Jack left out the bit about the Doctor and him being immortal bacause he didn't know how Maria would react.)  
After a night of laughing and mucking around Maria made her decision.  
I'm not going to let you die brother. You once protected me now it's my turn to protect you.

**2008**  
Maria wiped her wet eyes Jack could never know why she made her decision he'd blame himself she couldn't let that happen.


	5. Reunions and relevatons

Reunions and Relevations.  
Jacks Pov  
I burst into the Torchwood office. Everyone stares at me. I can tell they want to say something but the look on my face shuts them up. There she is Maria looking exactly the same as she did on the day she died. I reach out to touch her but she jumps back.  
"Don't touch me, I'm sorry Jack but you must never touch me or I'll fade. "  
"Why are you here? your dead."  
"For me my death was six hours ago I died to seal the rift,theirs a hole tearing in between this world and the world of the dead. Corpses will walk the earth killing the living out of bloodlust if we do not stop it the human race will fall. Find my grave I don't know where I'm buried the rift key is with my bones. Cast the key and my bones into the rift and it will seal. The rift key gave me my mind but no body. The rest will have body but no mind. The key was made by peaceful race of aliens immortal genius's called time lords."  
Time lords? I automatically think of the doctor.  
Maria continues "But they couldn't complete it it's make a time lord called Gepalinus was making one that needed no blood sacrifice but he was murdered by a time lord calling himself the master before it was finished, the idea was if the rift every became to wide it could be seales forever. The high general himself gave me the key."  
The master, I despise him not only did he decimate the worlds population, he kept me in a cage and destroyed the universes only chance at sealing the rift peacefully. And the high general what was he thinking giving her the key. Unless...  
"Maria why did the high general give you the key?"  
She suddenly looks very guilty.  
"He um gave it to me but he didn't want me to-" I interrupt  
"Use it, he wanted you to make me use it, GODDAMMIT MARIA WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE IT TO ME?" I shout.  
"I didn't want you to die I thought after all you've done you deserved just one chance to be happy. You can't die so you'd be stuck in the rift forever it would drive you mad."  
"How do you know I can't die?"  
"I saw you fighting the man shot you and one minute later you were fine."  
I feel so guilty I should have told her.  
"Because you can't die is why you have to seal the rift anyone else would be killed instantly"  
Just then I her a great tearing noise and the building shakes, It's started.  
I know I have to do it. For the world but I only want Maria back.  
"Who killed you?"  
"What?"  
"If you were sacrifice someone must have killed you who was it?"  
"It was my own fault he is blmeless it ws pratically suicide I told him I was dying of cancer anyway."  
"Who what was his name?"  
Maria closes her eyes I can tell she doesn't want to say.  
"Promise you won't go looking for revenge"  
I slowly nod for Maria I won't.  
She whispers two words so quietly I can hardly hear.  
"The doctor."


	6. My sisters grave

Jack stepped back as if he'd been hit. The doctor had always been a killer but never in cold blood. Jack understood it wasn't the Doctors fault.But he was still shocked he had never thought one of the kills the doctor had to make occasionally to save the world would hit so close to his heart.  
Maria was worried did Jack know him? Were they friend, enemies ,lovers? all Maria knew was nythings possible with Jack.  
Maria remembered there were other people in the room. And they still didn't know who she was.  
"who are you? I mean I know who you are but how do you know Jack?"  
"I'm Jacks transexual ex boyfriend my real name George and i'm from Rasacolocrophlapatorius" (were the sleveen come from I can't spell it.)  
Everyone gave Maria a weird look.  
"Really" asks Owen after everybodys stared at me for about five minutes.  
"No" she says and burst out laughing.  
"That wasn't funny Maria" smirks Jack  
"Yes I think it was" I tell him  
"No who are you seriously?" asks Ianto.  
"I'm Jacks little sister, My real name is Maria Donatella Harkness."  
Everyone started staring at Maria and then Jack. Until Jack got very pissed off.  
"Ok shes my sister is that really such a hard concept to get your head around?"  
Jack stood up and started to head towards the door.  
"Come on lets get this over with, are you? I mean cnyou come maria?"  
Maria shook her head "The rift energy gave me no body only this hologram imprint if I touch anyone I'll fade away."  
The Torchwood team left Maria and Jumped in the van. Jack was quiet and stared straight ahead. Normally Jack made light hearted cheerful conversation but he found he couldn't care at the minute.  
"Jack?" Gwen asked unsurely  
"What" he snapped back he felt guilty almost instantly Gwen had done nothing she didn't deserve this.  
"You don't have to.We'll do it for you.I mean if you don't want." Even though she was rambling Jack understood what she meant she ws aking if he wanted them to dig up the grave for him.  
"No Gwen It's fine. I'll do it I need to do this for Maria."  
"How come you never mentioned her before?" asked Owen being his usual insensitive self.  
"Your fiance'e died remember do you ever mention her? no lifes not like that." Jack glared at him.  
"Um Jack" says Ianto nervously Into and Jack both secretly fancied one another but now was not the time for their usul flirt. Jack ignored him.  
"We're here" Toshiko finishes for him.  
Luckily the funeral Jack had interupted ws long gone. Jack was the first to take a shovel out of the back of the van. He shoved it violently into the dirt as if taking all his frustration and pain out on the earth itself.  
His sisters body. No one on earth but Maria and the torchwood team knew it but on that day Maria Donatella Harkness was the most important life form in the universe.


	7. Memories part 2

Memories part 2  
Time was a cruel mistress it had only been a few hours and Maria had to leave Jack. Finding someone to kill her was the hardest part. Someone who would kill her and leave the precious looking rift key.  
There was only one chance she decided to hide the key and go into the slums of cardiff. Dressed as a whore she was bound to attract unwanted attention.  
As soon as she arrived she saw her ols 'friend' Gwain. Brilliant she thought. Maria threw a rock at his head attracting his attention.  
"You got beaten up by a little girl" she told him walking up to him and laughing in his face.  
This was all that was needed he pushed up against a wall and pressed a knife against her throat.  
Annoyingly from Marias point of view. A man in his thirties dressed in a twentieth century suit and a pretty dark skinned woman wearing what was in Marias opinion a very nice red leather Jacket came to the rescue.  
"Excuse me" the man asked Gwain "but I really think you should put her down"  
"Oh yeh or what?" demanded Gwain,  
"Or this" said the man quite cheerfully he pulled a blue screwdriver out of his pocket  
"cover your ears Martha"he told the woman, "and you" he said to Maria.  
the most horrible noise came out of the screwdriver and Maria covered her ears.  
"I'm the doctor by the way and this is Martha Jones" the man said smiling and helping her up.  
"Now what were you doing from your watch I can tell your a time agent but your too young to be more than a cadet and why were you going to let him kill you?"  
Maria ignored him but then she stood up the rift key fell from where she'd concealed it in her skirts. She snatched it up quickly but not before the doctor had a good look at it.  
"Oh no" he said slowly "No no no" you were going to kill yourself weren't you?"  
"I have my mission I must save the universe from the dead."  
"But your just a child you do understand what will happen don't you.

"I'm dying anyway" she lied to the Doctor.  
"Cancer in my breasts i have three months to live at the most." to a kill me would be a mercy. Better I die to save millions kill me go on."

"No I don't kill humans,I hate death." the doctor told her with desperate sorrow in his eyes.  
"The premature death of a girl who'll be dead within the year to save the universe.  
"Doctor" the woman Martha said "I think she's right if she'sdying anyway we shouldn't make her death in vain"  
"Thank you" Maria whispered to Martha, "You can't save me anyway she told the doctor."  
Tears fell down the doctors face and Maria knew she'd won. She pressed the knife into his hands and told him  
"Do it timelord" The doctor was momentarily curious about how she knew h was a time lord but she whispered  
"Please" again and he took the knife and with it pierced her heart. Tears of pain came down Maias cheeks but she was smiling.  
"Thank you" she told the doctor.  
Then she died.


	8. Bind her in her bones

Bind her in her bones

The torchwood team cme back twe hours after leaving Jack held parcell with a key on top of it the parcel contained Marias bones.

"Open the rift." ordered Maria. "Open it and throw in the key and my bones."

Jack POV

I can't do this, not to my little sister please I just got her back.

"Jack" says Tosh "We have to do this or millions of peole will die"

I know I must do this but this doesn't make it any easier. At least when I had her grave there was still something someway I could pretend. Something to hang on to.

"Please Jack I'm begging you do it for me" Maria says.

"What will happen to you?"

"My ghost will bind with my body changing my bones to the body I had. I think I'll be half alive my body binding the rift forever to close it to the dead. I can never see you again Jack I'm so sorry."

"No, I won't do this there has to be another way."

"If you love me you'll do it. I'd rather die and the world be safe. You have to make choices like this all the time don't let this one be any different because it's me."

I relented and threw in the key then I hesitated I looked into her pleading eyes and I did it not for the world but for her.  
Then I lost it and ran forward to hug her.

"I love you Jack my wonderful big brother. Don't give up on Torchwood."

And then she faded away in my arms.

I fell to the ground as I shut the rift just before it closed forever I saw her alive again just for a moment smiling and crying at the same time.

Then Toshiko speaks,

"No matter what happens Jack you can be proud of your little sister."

Toshikos right so I'll carry on Torchwood in Marias name.

**Well thats it I am thinking about writing a sequal with a happy ending o maybe a oneshot where the Jack confronts the Doctor about Marias death. I may right a romance story with Maria message me or review with ideas about who she could fall in love with. (I'm torn between the doctor, the master and Owen.)**

**DISCLAIMER: I Own none of the character except Maria the rest belong to the BBC (shame). **


End file.
